POBee 124.1 - Bee-ing Useful

    After checking the new bees in the Apiary, Belissar made his way to the bumblebee meadow, both to check on things and because he just liked watching the bumblebees zip around him. He approached to find the workers as usual, leisurely making their way from flower to flower. Each one he approached stopped to fly a few circles around him before resuming their work.

    Still, he didn’t want to disrupt them too much, so he quickly made his way to the nests to greet the queens and then move on with his day. As he did, though he heard a loud thrumming noise. Less like the buzz of normal bees, and more like tree leaves rustling in heavy winds. He looked up to find a large shadow blocking out the sun, and then four heavy shapes landed before him with a thud. His eyes widened.

    Several massive bumblebees now stood on the ground before him. They were different sizes, but even the smallest was as large as a lancer, while the largest was even bigger than a large dog. They had their stingers extended, each as large as a dagger...or larger.

    The queens flew out of their nests shortly after. Belissar turned to them in a daze.

    “Are these...bumblebee soldiers?”

    The oldest queen flew one circle around him to confirm.

    “Wow...they’re big.”

    The queen flew one more circle around him before releasing some mana-laden pheromones to convey additional information. Belissar’s eyes went even wider.

    “They’re...not done growing? Even the big one?”

    The queen flew one more circle around him. Belissar could only nod blankly for a bit...then started to grin.

    “These are really going to help, I think. Great work everyone.”

    After that, he was treated to four queens zipping circles around him repeatedly. The four soldiers spread out their wings, beating the air with heavy thuds as they slowly took off. They then flew around him in circles as well, kicking up gusts of wind around him in the process.

    Belissar continued to grin. The largest bees he had ever seen...and they weren’t even done growing yet. At this rate, his bees might be able to face the next shade on even footing. It seemed that monster bumblebees had been an excellent choice after all.

    Things, however, were not going as well for the Fourth of the Seventh’s drone. The drone had done his best to be useful for his kind and merciful queen mother, and the first communer and the other queen of the hive had done their best to support him, but it hadn’t worked out so far.

    The first communer and the other queen had tried to teach him how to forage, noting his larger eyes and better senses. However, it turned out he lacked a honey stomach to begin with, so while he could drink nectar he couldn’t store it or pass it along. That also meant that he couldn’t help to process the nectar into honey either.

    Scouting was the next option...but it turned out his senses were tuned to one thing only. He could find and identify other bees easily enough...but had no instincts for flowers or hive locations. They would be teaching him from scratch for that task.

    “Drone! You did this?!”

    The drone wanted to fly away but he managed to dance out a confirmation. The queen whirled towards the arriving communer.

    “Fourth of the Seventh’s communer, can feel?!”

    The first communer stumbled as she slowly danced.

    “Yes can feel...other queen? Can see other workers...”

    The other queen, the First of the Fifth’s First Daughter, suddenly burst out into a rapid dance.

    “Amazing! Incredible! Can feel Fourth of the Seventh’s hive! No...AM part of Fourth of the Seventh’s hive now!”

    The drone froze, uncertain what to make of this turn of events. The First of the Fifth’s First Daughter then rushed over to him, practically twisting their antennae together.

    “Drone! You did, right? Can do again?!”

    “T-Think so?”

    She nearly began dragging him as she turned.

    “Good! Then do! Help join hives together!”

    He managed to glance at the communer, who danced her confirmation as well.

    “Already asked queen, she says yes. And, good work, drone. Will help a lot.”

    The drone paused at that, and then did his best to dance a salute as the First of the Fifth’s First Daughter dragged him along. It seemed he had found a job to do after all.